If This is Love
by Undefined and Fine with It
Summary: Gale reminisces about Katniss.


If this is love, then he had fallen hard.

She's not the quiet girl who was scared out of her wits when he first spoke to her all those days ago in the woods. The girl who just wanted to survive, make it.

He could barely make out her name, thought she said Catnip, not Katniss.

Then again, Catnip was a weird name. Katniss was better it... Suited her. And then they were partners, friends even. They hunted together, shared stories, and ranted about the unfairness of the world they lived in. Then again, he was the one doing most of the ranting. She would just listen, knowing that what he said was right, but nothing could ever be done about it.

And then came the Reaping. If only they had done it, run like they could have, just left it all behind. It's not like the Capital would come after two people from district 12, where you starved to death in safety.

He realized that he should have gone in as well. He could have pulled the lovers card, he was the one who could understand what she was saying when she wasn't saying anything. And he had to watch someone else, someone who barely knew her, stand up and take the role that he should have taken. Lover, boyfriend, what ever. No difference. She's meant the world to him longer than she's been the world to that baker boy.

And then they were in the arena. It was hard to watch her almost die, so many times, knowing that no one there had her back, except for the boy who was hidden near the rocks, nearly invisible, and nearly dead. And the little girl from 11. Katniss should have known not to ally with Rue. Rue's death hurt Katniss a lot. She should have known. If someone in the arena reminds you of someone you care about, stay away. But she didn't, and he knew he was right when the girl died, and Katniss cried. Katniss Everdeen never cried.

But then there was the rule change, that district partners could survive. He could tell, by the look on her face, that she truly was happy that he could survive as well. And find him she did.

The kisses were nauseating. It was like his heart had shattered into pieces watching his love, his friend, kiss someone else. Watching her care about someone outside of her family besides him was like a dream- a nightmare. And it wouldn't end, no matter how hard he pinched himself.

The interviews he had to endure made him worse. Apparently, he was "too manly" to be shown as her friend, so he was her cousin instead. That hurt. It meant that even if she did come back alone, their relationship would be frowned upon. Forbidden even.

And then she had to risk her life for him. Going to the Feast was suicide, just last year they had laughed about the stupidity of the non-Career tributes who had gone. But off she ran, after drugging 'Lover Boy'. It was pathetic. She knew she shouldn't go! She should have run off and left Peeta to die.

But she was the one who almost died. Knocked over by the girl from District 2, he thought she was going to die. But the boy from 11 saved her. Just because she was allies with the little girl. And Katniss ran back to her 'Lover Boy' and all was well.

Peeta was horrible in the forest, couldn't take a step without rustling something or breaking something, and he knew it was driving Katniss insane. If he had been three, it would have been just like at home, because they were as in sync as a machine while hunting.

Not to mention, 'Lover Boy' almost poisoned them. But it paid off when the girl from five ate the berries and died.

Thresh and Quinn- the girl from five- were dead. It was Katniss, Peeta, and Cato. Cato was not one to be reckoned with. Cato was violent and ruthless. He would have been scared to take him on. But the mutts drove them together. By night fall, all three were on top of the Cornicopia.

Cato had Peeta in a choke hold. She could do ot! Shoot Cato snd Peeta goes down too! They could be together! Like they should be.

But Lover Boy proved he has a brain and Katniss shoot Cato's hand. He plummeted to his demise at the mouths of the dog mutts. A gruesome death. Gruesome, but definitely deserved.

And them it was dawn. The mutts are gone and it's just the two of them, waiting for a hovercraft that won't come. Because there are two. And there can only be one.

He silently egged her on. Wanting her to shoot him and get it over with.

But she pulls out the berries and that was when he first realized it was hopeless. She was willing to kill herself so one wouldn't have to live without the other.

And the Capital picked up both of them in a hovercraft.

And he had to wait a week to see her face again.

But when he did, he saw her play the part of a girl hopelessly in love to a guy he was pretty sure she'd never met before. And it ripped his heart in half.

* * *

**AN One shot for now, but if people want me to continue I might.**


End file.
